The Bali-bombing terrorist attack forced me into an incredibly tough, but surprisingly positive and spectacular adventure, taking me around the world.

Unbelievably, I saw ‘the other side’ on two blindingly beautiful occasions. I’m not religious and I never will be, but, there really is a spectacular and lush ‘afterworld.’

*****

The Bali-bombers severed leg, lit by a soft starlight, dead in dust.

Shining my torch on this severed leg, in the middle of the night, in a foreign country, sparks a furious and confusing energy in my soul.

Angry with this ‘severed leg of stupidity,’ the waves of life eventually sweep me onto the mysterious island of Java, the island where the Bali-bomber was born.

Emotionally fried, but still feeling an enormous power in my chest, I was the only ‘white guy’ living with thousands of Muslims in a seaside village for three and a half years.

With my heart and mind stretched in several directions, the only way to save my soul and cool my head was to follow the events, endlessly.

*****

‘Pure Joy’

is a real-life journey,

stretch the fairy-floss of your soul over the burning coals of an impossible task.

*****

Rejoice,
glow fresh, bright and free,
in,
‘the city of lamps’

– Yogyakarta –

 

*****

 

Smile deep inside dreams,
warm under sunrise,
in,
‘the morning of the world’

 

– Bali –

 

*****

 

Feel hot Dayak eyes,
burning success embers,
in,
‘the eternal jungle’

 

– Borneo –

 

*****

 

Smash soul against rock,
dine on delicious-but-bitter ashes,
in,
‘the final blue wave’

 

– Torndirrup –

 

*****

 

An adventure of land and sky,
under thunder,
brown, bold and gold.

 

*****

It took me 24 years to follow the events and write this book.

Basically,

I threw my whole life in the toilet,

spending every cent that fell into my burning pockets,

chasing a crazy dream,

and… a girl.

The girl.

*****

The world made me so angry, I put on a pair of sandals, and just kept on walking into oblivion,

and,

a novel.

*****

The hero in this story,
is you.

*****